In a  busy 2025 WNBA offseason, one of the more talked about moves was former Seattle Storm star guard Jewell Loyd’s blockbuster trade to the Las Vegas Aces.

The two-time champion Aces lost Kelsey Plum to the Los Angeles Sparks in the offseason but felt confident in landing Jewell Loyd—whose reputation as a lights-out scorer was expected to fill the scoring gap Plum left behind.

But since joining Las Vegas, Loyd’s production has considerably dipped. Averaging just 9.1 points per game, a stark difference from just two seasons ago when she averaged 24.7 and 19.7 in 2024. Combine that with the drastic slide in performance the Aces have taken this season, many are questioning her role on the team––including Loyd herself.

After Wednesday night’s loss to the Los Angeles Sparks, Aces head coach Becky Hammon was asked if she had considered bringing Loyd in off the bench, after noticing she has only played about 15 minutes heading into the fourth quarter of the game. “Yes, it’s been talked about,” Hammon responded to the question in the post game interview, but clarified that the issue had been “brought up by her,” referring to Loyd.

Loyd’s transition hasn’t been seamless. Losing Plum disrupted the Aces’ chemistry, and a brutal 95–68 loss to the brand new expansion team Valkyries was a gut punch, where Loyd was held to 1-for-6 shooting, as Las Vegas dropped to its worst scoring night of the season.

As a recent Olympic gold medalist, the pressure to perform is high. And at 31, playing for a title contender with her contract year looming, she’s got stakes. With it still being early in the season, it’s possible coming off the bench can recalibrate Loyd to her former Seattle dominance and prove that the Aces’ bold offseason swap can still pay off.